Jan 31 Whither Brexit Cities?

Automation and globalisation is set to destroy employment in those British cities that voted most strongly for Brexit. Mansfield, Sunderland, Wakefield and Stoke could see around 30% of jobs disappear by 2030, according to a study from Centre for Cities.

And the cities least at risk are predominantly affluent places in the South of England which voted in favour of remaining in the EU in 2016, with the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, Reading, Worthing and London least likely to be impacted.

And while automation and globalisation will also bring employment growth across the board, in Northern and Midlands cities these jobs will largely be in low-skilled occupations, while Southern cities are more likely to attract high-skilled roles.

Just one in 10 jobs predicted to grow by 2030 in cities such as Mansfield, Blackburn and Sunderland are in high-skilled private sector occupations, while three out of 10 are in low-skilled private sector occupations.

“In an evermore divided country, it’s increasingly clear that a one-size-fits-all approach from central government is inadequate to address the myriad issues that different places face,” says Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities. The challenges and opportunities ahead for Blackburn are very different to those for Brighton.”